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Beauty and the Bin
Parents are humiliating – especially when they're eco-warriors.
Laurie loves her family and she wants to join them in making the world a better place. But right now, she doesn't want to fish food out of bins, she wants to wear a pair of ordinary tights and have the money to order a hot chocolate at the café after school.
When a competition comes to Silverdale High looking for the next generation of entrepreneurs, Laurie finds herself unexpectedly in the spotlight. The homemade beauty remedies and potions that she has been posting online are stealing the show, and the most popular girl in the school wants to team up for the win. It seems like Laurie can achieve normality – and even popularity – at last. But will her eco-warrior family accept that she no longer wants to be part of their close-knit gang, and can she find success and glory without losing sight of her true self?
Joanne O'Connell's Beauty and the Bin is a fresh and funny debut about friends, family, school and being a young eco-warrior.
Laurie loves her family and she wants to join them in making the world a better place. But right now, she doesn't want to fish food out of bins, she wants to wear a pair of ordinary tights and have the money to order a hot chocolate at the café after school.
When a competition comes to Silverdale High looking for the next generation of entrepreneurs, Laurie finds herself unexpectedly in the spotlight. The homemade beauty remedies and potions that she has been posting online are stealing the show, and the most popular girl in the school wants to team up for the win. It seems like Laurie can achieve normality – and even popularity – at last. But will her eco-warrior family accept that she no longer wants to be part of their close-knit gang, and can she find success and glory without losing sight of her true self?
Joanne O'Connell's Beauty and the Bin is a fresh and funny debut about friends, family, school and being a young eco-warrior.
- GenresMiddle Grade
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 25, 2020
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Joanne O'Connell
2 books2 followersJoanne O’Connell is a freelance writer. Her first novel for children, Beauty and the Bin, is published by Macmillan Children’s Books. When she’s not writing (for national newspapers and glossy magazines, including the Guardian, the Observer and The Times) Joanne loves whipping up #noplastic homemade beauty recipes, from strawberry bath slushies to minty chocolate lip balm. She occasionally pops up on television and radio and runs cookery classes in schools.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 17, 2020
WOW, Laurie's parents are embarrassing. I know food waste is a huge problem and I agree that something needs to change, but they just decided that dumpster diving was the way to go and completely ignored Laurie any time she tried to talk about how she felt. I realise they were trying to make things better overall, but really. A little give and take, people. But then they did come through at the end.
Charley is confusing as well - for most of the book she seems like a typical Mean Girl, but she comes good at the end, so maybe the whole point is that everyone is both nice and nasty. That would be a lovely message, actually.
I really enjoyed the story as a whole. I loved that even when Laurie was caught up with Charley, she still did her best to help and stay close to her own friends; too often in this kind of story the old friends are dumped as the hero scrambles to keep up with the popular kid. I was really pleased when that didn't happen. I'm looking forward to trying out the recipes in the back, too!
I hope there's more books in this series. There's plenty more topics to tackle, after all.
A really great read, kids are going to love this one.
Charley is confusing as well - for most of the book she seems like a typical Mean Girl, but she comes good at the end, so maybe the whole point is that everyone is both nice and nasty. That would be a lovely message, actually.
I really enjoyed the story as a whole. I loved that even when Laurie was caught up with Charley, she still did her best to help and stay close to her own friends; too often in this kind of story the old friends are dumped as the hero scrambles to keep up with the popular kid. I was really pleased when that didn't happen. I'm looking forward to trying out the recipes in the back, too!
I hope there's more books in this series. There's plenty more topics to tackle, after all.
A really great read, kids are going to love this one.
April 20, 2020
Laurie hates bin diving, however her family, eco warriors and food waste haters love it s they get new sealed produce for nothing so long as they don't get caught of course even Fern her little sister loves it too.
Only Zainab and Emelia her school friends have no idea and they always have money to buy things where as her parents take from bins instead never hardly paying properly for something.
So when a school project comes up and Charley the school popular girl wants to work with Laurie aka Beauty In The Kitchen, Laurie finds herself losing touch with her brand which started as her and her sister having fun, but as the competition goes on she realises Charley may not be the golden girl and her brand is hers and her sister's not Charley's.
This was a great unique read and I loved the subject about natural beauty products and reducing waste it's great to inform teens and help make a change, a book to inspire future generations!
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
Only Zainab and Emelia her school friends have no idea and they always have money to buy things where as her parents take from bins instead never hardly paying properly for something.
So when a school project comes up and Charley the school popular girl wants to work with Laurie aka Beauty In The Kitchen, Laurie finds herself losing touch with her brand which started as her and her sister having fun, but as the competition goes on she realises Charley may not be the golden girl and her brand is hers and her sister's not Charley's.
This was a great unique read and I loved the subject about natural beauty products and reducing waste it's great to inform teens and help make a change, a book to inspire future generations!
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
January 15, 2021
The title of this book is what first drew me in, and then once I read the synopsis I was sold.
We get a good mix of seeing Laurie's life at secondary school (with its typical daily dramas and upkeep of friendships) and her life at home. You really feel her internal struggle between upholding the values she gained from her eco-warrior parents and just wanting to fit in and do some of the things the most kids her age do.
The eccentricity of the Larksie family provided a lot of funny moments but also a lot of teaching moments.
The story is very relevant to issues of today; not only eco-friendly living but also things like the influence of social media. Ultimately this book will really benefit younger readers - reminding them to be more aware of alternative lifestyles, encouraging them to be true to themselves and inspiring them to get in touch with their creative juices.
I enjoyed reading this! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc.
We get a good mix of seeing Laurie's life at secondary school (with its typical daily dramas and upkeep of friendships) and her life at home. You really feel her internal struggle between upholding the values she gained from her eco-warrior parents and just wanting to fit in and do some of the things the most kids her age do.
The eccentricity of the Larksie family provided a lot of funny moments but also a lot of teaching moments.
The story is very relevant to issues of today; not only eco-friendly living but also things like the influence of social media. Ultimately this book will really benefit younger readers - reminding them to be more aware of alternative lifestyles, encouraging them to be true to themselves and inspiring them to get in touch with their creative juices.
I enjoyed reading this! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc.
December 28, 2020
Beauty and the Bin had a unique storyline which I really enjoyed. The plot was simple enough but it really took me on a journey. Lau was a brilliant protagonist. Sure, she did make some wrong choices but I'm glad she found that family was more important than anything. Fern was very quirky and funny and I loved her character. The first line had me hooked and the author's writing was fabulous. I found that the story came to a satisfying end (something rare these days). This is middle grade fiction at it's best. I would gladly recommend this to younger siblings and my peers. Thanks to netgalley for the free arc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2020
An excellent story, well written and interesting. It mixes the problems of a teenager with environmentally friendly concern and it works.
The characters are well rounded and likable, the plot flows and the message is clear.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The characters are well rounded and likable, the plot flows and the message is clear.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
January 10, 2021
I read this as a parent and teacher. Would thoroughly recommend for upper primary/lower secondary. Through the central character Laurie, you get a real feel for the clash between peer pressure and personal values that are experienced by children at that age. Some great ideas for using leftovers for beauty products too!
April 10, 2020
An interesting and thoughtful debut from Joanne O'Connell that looks at growing up as an eco warrior while tackling the usual trials and tribulations of being a teen. Characters are extremely well written and very easy to connect with. It's a story that leaves you smiling.
July 24, 2021
Beauty and the Bin is a fun story about Laurie who whilst she is embarrassed by her parents being eco warriors and the methods they choose to do so she really wants to do her bit to help being eco friendly and stopping the unnecessary waste.
This is a great story to make you think about how much waste we make and how natural products can be so beneficial even if we're led to believe expensive products are the only way. The way Laurie managed to be eco friendly and come up with a brilliant business idea for the school competition was good to read and I liked the ups and downs she faced as it showed whilst things aren't always easy it doesn't mean it's not possible.
As a character Laurie is like a typical teenager, kind and caring but still a bit embarrassed by her family, particularly in front of the popular girl Charley, which is what makes their friendship interesting and makes you question Charley's motives behind the decision. I like how we got to see how this new friendship effected Laurie's other friends and family as we often forget that they can be impacted too.
This is a great book and a fun read, it was also a nice touch to have some natural beauty recipes at the end which fit in perfectly with the story.
This is a great story to make you think about how much waste we make and how natural products can be so beneficial even if we're led to believe expensive products are the only way. The way Laurie managed to be eco friendly and come up with a brilliant business idea for the school competition was good to read and I liked the ups and downs she faced as it showed whilst things aren't always easy it doesn't mean it's not possible.
As a character Laurie is like a typical teenager, kind and caring but still a bit embarrassed by her family, particularly in front of the popular girl Charley, which is what makes their friendship interesting and makes you question Charley's motives behind the decision. I like how we got to see how this new friendship effected Laurie's other friends and family as we often forget that they can be impacted too.
This is a great book and a fun read, it was also a nice touch to have some natural beauty recipes at the end which fit in perfectly with the story.
April 12, 2021
This is a charming and engaging story that will appeal to any Jacqueline Wilson fans – young and not so young!
Laurie is a schoolgirl who is full of bright ideas, but like many teenagers feels a bit out of place sometimes and struggles to fit in. This part of her story felt so relatable, especially with her passion for the environment – while it’s very en vogue right now, it’s not that long ago that being an eco-warrior made people think you were a bit odd. Peppering the story with social media interactions really grounded it in the reality of teenage life today, and felt a lot more authentic than many of the social media replications I have seen in recent books!
Laurie’s ideas are brilliant, and I found myself looking up some of her methods online to see if I could give it a try myself.
‘Beauty and the Bin’ was easy to read in the best possible way – no going back to reread sections to make sure I’d understood, no struggling over phrases that felt forced. It was told in simple but effective language, feeling natural and genuine. I’d definitely recommend this to children and teenagers who care about our lovely planet.
Laurie is a schoolgirl who is full of bright ideas, but like many teenagers feels a bit out of place sometimes and struggles to fit in. This part of her story felt so relatable, especially with her passion for the environment – while it’s very en vogue right now, it’s not that long ago that being an eco-warrior made people think you were a bit odd. Peppering the story with social media interactions really grounded it in the reality of teenage life today, and felt a lot more authentic than many of the social media replications I have seen in recent books!
Laurie’s ideas are brilliant, and I found myself looking up some of her methods online to see if I could give it a try myself.
‘Beauty and the Bin’ was easy to read in the best possible way – no going back to reread sections to make sure I’d understood, no struggling over phrases that felt forced. It was told in simple but effective language, feeling natural and genuine. I’d definitely recommend this to children and teenagers who care about our lovely planet.
August 11, 2021
Laurie makes the Eco-warrior at our school look tame! Her family's home sounds amazing, and i'd quite like to have at least one room like this. Laurie and her sister, Fern, make beauty products from food in their house. Laurie isn't at all sure about some of her family's no food waste activities, and she is seen by the most popular girl in school. The family don't spend any money on anything new, and Laurie would sometimes like to go shopping to buy clothes as most teenagers do.
This home made beauty becomes part of a school competition when Laurie joins forces with the "It girl" in school instead of her own friends. This causes some tension. But eventually Laurie has to decide between family and the competition.
This home made beauty becomes part of a school competition when Laurie joins forces with the "It girl" in school instead of her own friends. This causes some tension. But eventually Laurie has to decide between family and the competition.
August 17, 2021
This was a really fresh and modern story which I’d definitely recommend to any year 5 or 6 child. It’s written in a really accessible way and explores environmental issues easily alongside moral issues that kids may face whilst trying to do the right thing.
December 20, 2021
This is the story of a girl named Laurie, whose family are very environmentally friendly and engaged with trying to stop the climate crisis, to the point where they’ve started “garbage guzzling”, much to Laurie’s mortification! However, Laurie is also very invested in saving the planet and one of the ways she does her part is by creating homemade beauty products, and when her school announces a business competition, the most popular girl in school demands that Laurie teams up with her to sell her products. Laurie is such a great character, who I felt a lot of sympathy for, especially because she’s a bit of a people-pleaser, but I also loved how ingenious and passionate she was with her products and how much she loved her family despite them often making things quite difficult for her. Her relationships with Fern and Radzi were so sweet, and I also really liked her friends Emilia and Zainab, who are just so supportive and lovely! Charli is someone I had very mixed feelings about, but I did feel sorry for her and I liked her ambition- the business competition plot was really fun to read because of it. The ending is super uplifting and heartwarming, and I definitely think I’ll be picking up Binderella once it’s out given how much I enjoyed the little preview of it.
October 14, 2022
Very fun
November 3, 2022
This book is overall great but I feel it could have more character depth and personality.
November 7, 2021
3,7 stars
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews